Friday night lights

MOSES LAKE - The scent of hot-dogs hangs heavy in the cool autumn air. A buzz of anticipation can be heard as fans look for a place to sit.

Stadium lights illuminate the football field, and in front of the home team bleachers stand a small wave of pink T-shirts.

Eyes aglow, most can't stand still. Pom poms in hand, the Cheer Princesses get ready to inspire onlookers for the first half of the football game.

As they take their place in front of the crowd, little eyes search for familiar faces.

Family members wave and encourage from the stands. Mothers with cameras try to catch their child's every movement.

What appears to be another Friday night football game, proves otherwise as soon as 55 little girls let out their rally cry.

Onlookers sit up a little straighter and a few wince as an ear piercing "GO CHIEFS" breaks a small moment of silence.

This is what the Cheer Princess girls have been practicing for. The group of youngsters, ages kindergarten to sixth grade, want nothing more than to have their voices heard and their high kicks admired.

"It seems like every little girl wants to be a cheerleader," smiles Moses Lake cheer coach Mikey Carlile. "This is a really good way to get kids out and teach them about cheerleading."

Carlile and her cheerleaders spent two weeks with the girls teaching them around 10 cheers, jumps and minor stunts.

"I get to introduce some kids to cheerleading, and maybe they will fall in love with it and want to tryout in high school," laughs Carlile as one small princess tries to get her attention.

Cheayanne Lyles' enthusiasm shows as she bounces and screams with every cheer. This is her third year in a cheer program and she is determined to be a cheerleader when she grows up.

"My favorite part is when we have to scream really loud," Lyles says as she fidgets with her pom poms.

On this Friday night she is decked out in pigtails and face tattoos. Other cheer mates like Payton Hofheins and Amayah DeLeon join her in getting "all decked out" for the event.

"I'm excited we get to do cheers in front of people," says DeLeon in a very small voice.

DeLeon and Hofheins shed their shy personalities and add extra enthusiasm to their favorite cheer "Truckin."

For these young girls, this is their moment to shine. By the end of the night everyone has had fun and most are slightly disappointed it's all over. As they leave several promise to return next year.

Carlile says the next opportunity for youth to learn about cheerleading is in a middle school cheer clinic for sixth, seventh and eighth grades at the end of March. Carlile hopes to see a large turnout and encourages youth to try cheerleading.

The cheer camps also serve as a fund-raiser for the Moses Lake High School cheer program. Funds go to pay for uniforms, camp costs, pom poms and other cheering necessities.